Trusting The Rich
by SweetsPrincess-Sama
Summary: When her heart becomes shattered over a one night stand, the only good to come out of it is her daughter. He's in a similar position, a single parent with a daughter, though his wife has passed. Now they both work at the restaurant. He as a chef, and she as a waitress. And then their daughters lives get intertwined and Misaki's battle front surrounding love comes tumbling down.
1. Chapter 1

Trusting The Rich

Chapter 1

There were things in life that she'd never come to understand. Like, how could a man just walk away? It didn't seem fair- it _wasn't_ fair- and though it had been seven years since her daughter's birth, a part of her still hung onto it. Misaki sighed as she scrubbed down a table in the restaurant, thinking of the talks she'd had with her daughter about her father.

 _"Mummy, all the girls at school have a daddy, so, why don't I?" Ayano had asked one Summer night as Misaki tucked her into her bed. "And don't tell me 'it's complicated' again, I want the truth." For a seven year-old child, her skill for retaining knowledge of their past conversations was as impeccable as ever._

 _"You father didn't love me. I didn't realize at the time. And then he left. End of story. Now, go to sleep, Aya." Misaki sighed and kissed her daughter's forehead. "I love you."_

 _"I-is it hard for you, mummy?" She had to bite her lip to stop the tears welling up. Misaki nodded firmly._

 _"It's very hard, darling." And with that, she left the room._

She scrubbed harder at the table, long after it was polished. She didn't stop until the rich chef came up behind her, his blonde hair peeking out from below his chef hat as he smiled down at her and set a hand on her shoulder. She sighed and shook his hand from her shoulder, peering at her reflection in the spot she'd scrubbed clean.

"What do you want, Usui?" She sighed again. It was a habit he'd picked up on very early in their four years of knowing each other. She was very hostile and angry towards men as well, but he didn't seem to bother her _as_ much. He'd still taken many hits regardless.

"You're going to scrub right through the table, Misaki." He noted, his eyebrows raised in amusement. She threw the cloth at him and he frowned.

"You do it then, you rich bastard." And, with that, she made her way to the staff room. Misaki gathered her things and then untied her apron so that she could set it in her locker. She was due to pick Ayano up from her mother's house any minute now. Minako lived right down from the school, so, on the nights when Misaki worked late, Ayano would walk herself down to the house and wait there for her mother. She shut the back door behind her, leaving it unlocked so that the other employees would be able to leave from their shifts, and got into her car. She chucked her handbag in the back of the car and started the engine. When she pulled up to the curb beside her mother's house, Minako and Ayano were sat out on the front porch, waiting patiently.

"Mummy!" Ayano squealed as Misaki cut the engine and hopped out of the car.

"Hi, sweetie." Misaki smiled as her daughter ran into her arms and clung on tightly. "I'm sorry I had to work late tonight." Ayano shook her head.

"Gran'ma told me it was because you loved me so much." Misaki smiled up at her mother who had joined them outside the car. The two women hugged and Misaki kissed her cheek.

"Thanks, mum." Minako smiled softly.

"Don't mention it."

"Come on, Ayano. Let's go home." Ayano waved at Minako.

"Bye, gran'ma."

"Bye bye, Aya."

~o~

"Yumi? I'm home." Usui knocked on Yumi's bedroom door and a minute later there came the reply of a thud. "I'm coming in." He turned the doorknob and opened the door. Yumi grinned sheepishly up at her father through her golden sheets of hair, tangled in her bed sheets. She laughed nervously.

"Hi, daddy." He watched her in mild amusement as she surveyed the mess around her. "I was- uh- making a fort." Usui grinned and knelt down beside her, helping her out of the array of sheets and duvets she was stuck in. She buried her face in her father's chest once she was free and hugged him tightly.

"Did you have fun at school today?" He asked, tucking a stray strand of hair back behind her ear. Yumi looked up at him and grinned, nodding her head.

"I made a friend, daddy!" She did a little twirl as Usui began to gather her sheets and duvet. He watched her closely. Yumi wasn't much one to make friends, so it puzzled him as to what kind of child she had chosen to get to know.

"Is that so? Girl or boy?"

"A girl, silly daddy," She poked her tongue out at him and giggled at the prospect of having a boy for a friend. At her age, such a thing was considered weird. "Her name is Ayano."

"What, she doesn't have a last name?" Yumi stuck her nose up in the air.

"I don't want you to suddenly know her mummy and have her want all our money, so I'm keeping my mouth shut." She exclaimed. Usui chuckled.

"Not _every_ woman is like that. I keep telling you." He tucked in the edge of her duvet and straightened it out. "There. Now, are you going to tell me her last name? I'd like to know, since this is the first friend you've ever talked to me about." Yumi huffed, turning to walk out of the room.

"Ayuzawa." She muttered, descending the long, marble staircase. Usui blinked. _Where had he heard that name before...?_

"You should invite her family to dinner sometime." He said, catching up to Yumi. She eyed him suspiciously.

"Fine. But, if her mummy makes one single move on you...," She trailed off.

"Yes, yes, I get the point."

~o~

"Mummy?" Ayano said through a mouthful of fruit loops.

"Chew and swallow before you talk, Aya." Misaki told her, putting her phone into her handbag. Once Ayano had swallowed, she resumed her earlier question.

"Mummy, you're working late tonight, right?" Misaki nodded.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"I wanted to go to my friend's house. She can pick me up, as long as mummy can come and get me after work."

"Do you have her address?" Ayano pulled a piece of folded paper out of her pocket. Misaki studied it and hummed. "Okay. I'll pick you up after my shift, okay?" Ayano nodded.

"Thanks, mummy." Misaki kissed her head.

"You're welcome. Now, come on, let's go." Misaki dropped Ayano off at school and later that night went to collect her. She noticed very briefly that she seemed to be following Usui in her car, though it didn't hit her hard until they pulled up at the same address.

"Are you stalking me, Misaki?" Usui asked as he hopped out of the car, grinning. Misaki stole a glance at the address written on the piece of paper Ayano had given her and blinked.

"No, actually, I'm not. My daughter's here."

"You have a daughter?"

"Apparently so do you." Misaki watched him cautiously before he offered her a hand. "No way." She murmured, and she strode off up the staircase of the grand mansion. He followed her pace and pushed open the doors for her. She frowned at the gesture. "I'm taking her straight home. Don't try anything." He chuckled.

"As you wish."

"Ayano?" Misaki shouted up the stairs. There were a few thuds and bangs but, eventualy, Ayano emerged from a doorway and came bounding down the staircase. She jumped into Misaki's arms and Usui smiled at the way they embraced each other with such love.

"Hi, mummy. Look at this place, it's so big!" Misaki frowned.

"Hmm," She mumbled. "Come on, let's go home." Ayano stayed in place.

"But Yumi wanted me to stay for dinner."

"I'm not opposed to the idea." Usui spoke up as Yumi descended the stairs. Misaki shot him a look.

"But I am." Ayano tugged at her black waitress skirt and pouted.

"Please, mummy?" She looked between her pouting daughter, Usui's broad grin and Yumi's poker-face and sighed.

" _Fine_." Ayano pumped her fists in victory and Yumi led her by the hand to the kitchen, shooting one cold glance at Misaki and her father before she left, leaving the two adults standing in the entryway.

"What happened to 'I'm taking her straight home', Misaki?" Usui grinned slyly and Misaki punched his arm as she walked past him, determined to follow her daughter.

"Shut up, rich bastard."

"You can stay as long as you want." He drawled, catching up to her.

"I'm glad we're heading towards a kitchen." She said and he frowned, caught off guard by her sentence.

"Why?" He asked.

"Because there are knives there." Was her simple, cold-hearted reply.

* * *

 _Hi guys! So, welcome to my new KWMS fanfiction. It was inspired by 'The Babysitter.' By 'Painful Death' (which I am currently reading) so I did get some help with the basic idea. In moderation, anyway. I hope you enjoy this, even though this chapter in particular was shorter than most of my works, I do hope I can extend it to better lengths in the next few chapters. Anyways, thanks for reading and please R &R, it means the world to me._

 _Xx SweetsPrincess-Sama_


	2. Chapter 2

Trusting The Rich

Chapter 2

"Is there some secret relationship you have that you've never told me about?" Misaki pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger and sighed, batting her hand at the shoulder of her irritating co-worker.

"You never take your break this early. What do you want?" She bit, picking at her plain nail as she averted her eyes from his gaze. Usui rested his arms on the table and propped his head up with one hand, watching her fidget.

"To talk to you." He said truthfully. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"About what?"

"Yumi seems to have taken a great liking to your daughter." Misaki scoffed.

"Not to me she hasn't." Usui chuckled and a small smile graced his features.

"Did you want her to like you?" Misaki averted her eyes hurriedly once more and shrugged, sipping on her water bottle.

"I wanted to know what the death glare was all about."

"Oh- that? She thinks you're going to sleep with me and take all my money." Misaki nearly choked on her water and coughed it down, her eyes wide.

"W-what? Why would she think that?"

"It's her perception of women." He shrugged, as though it were no big deal. Misaki clearly thought otherwise.

"Sounds scandalous." She murmured, sipping her water again to calm herself.

"So does your shrouded story. I've never seen Ayano's father." He'd hit a nerve.

"I've never seen Yumi's mother." She spat back. And likewise had she hit a nerve. Both parties watched each other with a certain fire raging in their eyes. His emeralds became dark and clouded and her ambers became hot and melted as they continued an unbreakable stare.

"Oi! Your break's ended, Misaki!" A male waiter popped his head around the door frame, breaking their glares. Misaki nodded and waved him off, standing up from her chair.

"Let me put my drink bottle away. I'll be out in a minute."

"Hurry up then." He mumbled disapprovingly before disappearing around the corner. Usui caught her arm as she made to move around him to get to her locker. His eyes met hers and there was something in that forest of green that she couldn't understand.

"Yumi's been begging to see Ayano. She's never had a proper friend, so I worry what might become of them, seeing as you seem to hate me." Misaki blinked. That wasn't what she'd expected to hear. It wasn't some kind of wooing. He sounded so... _fatherly_ that it surprised her somewhat.

"I- I don't _hate_ you," She said hastily, pulling out of his grasp. "I just don't _like_ you... at all." She opened her locker and threw her drink bottle inside before closing it and turning to him.

"Is this a hit at me or at the entire male species? I can't quite tell." She narrowed her eyes and surveyed his small grin.

"Rich bastard." She proclaimed, stalking out of the staff room to resume the later half of her shift.

~o~

Misaki kicked off her pumps as Ayano scurried inside to the kitchen, opening the fridge for a snack.

"Baby, I'll make dinner in a minute. You don't need a snack." Misaki explained, setting her handbag on the couch as Ayano dejectedly closed the fridge.

"But I'm hungry now, mummy." She moaned, draping herself along the battered old couch as she sighed dramatically. Misaki frowned.

"Didn't you eat at grandma's?" She asked, swiping Ayano's brown bangs to the side of her face. She'd inherited her hair colour from her father, much to Misaki's dismay, but it suited her amber orbs a lot more than Misaki liked to admit. Ayano nodded slowly. "Then you can wait a little, okay?" With a sigh and a dramatic roll off the couch, Ayano conceded defeat and Misaki smiled.

"What are we having?" Ayano asked in interest as Misaki began pulling ingredients out of the cupboard.

"Spaghetti bolognese sound okay to you?" Ayano nodded hurriedly. It _was_ her favourite meal, after all. "Good. Do you have any homework to do while I cook it?" Ayano thought about it for a moment before smiling and running to her room. "Okay then." Misaki mused, putting the pot of water on the stove to boil for the pasta. When dinner was ready, Misaki called for Ayano, but she didn't come. Frowning, Misaki followed the short hallway to their joint room. She pushed open the door a crack and watched Ayano as she fiddled with small scrapbooking jewels and bits of paper, sat at Misaki's desk. "What are you doing, Aya?" She asked, peering in interest as she reached the desk. Ayano had a small frown on her face from concentration.

"I'm making a crown... for Yumi." Misaki smiled gently.

"That's nice of you." Ayano frowned further.

"Mummy?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you hate Mr. Yumi's daddy?"

"Who, Usui? I- I don't _hate_ him, sweetie. We work together, y'know?" Ayano blinked.

"Is he the evil chef that you mumble about when you're angry?" Misaki blushed a little and nodded.

"Sure," Misaki rubbed little circles into her back. "Why do you think I hate him?"

"Yumi said you did... she said it was a good thing, that nobody can have her daddy. You're not going to marry him, are you? Yumi doesn't want that-!"

"Marry him!? No, no, of course not! Calm down, Aya," Misaki sighed and put her hand over Ayano's. "Let's just have dinner."

"Mummy... if you ever do love Mr. Usui, you'll tell me, right?" Misaki blushed somewhat and took a deep breath.

"Of course, darling. But I highly doubt that will happen. Come on, to the kitchen. You can finish your crown later."

~o~

"She's going to make a move sometime soon, you know, daddy?" Yumi picked at her nails as she studied her father, her golden hair in a fish plait. She had always been such a lovely girl, but whenever it came to the subject of her father's love life, everything went dark. "I've seen this before. Why can't you just love mum?" Usui shot a look at his daughter, so calm that it was almost terrifying.

"You're treading on very _very_ thin ice here, Yumi." Somehow, they seemed more like business partners, rather than father and daughter. Yumi frowned at Usui where he sat behind his mahogany desk, typing away at his laptop.

"I don't understand why you have to love another woman."

"I never said that I loved Misaki." She pointed one perfectly manicured fingernail at him.

"But you're not denying it."

"She's a beautiful woman."

"So was mum."

" _Yumi_." For a seven year-old, Yumi seemed much older than she was. She was incredibly smart too, and she knew her way around adults, especially Usui. She drew her lips into a thin line and played absently with the end of her plait.

"I don't want you to love anyone besides me and mum. Ever." He shut his laptop, making her jump a little as he stood and sighed, covering his face with one hand.

"Do you realize how selfish you sound, Yumi? Of course I love you and your mother, but that doesn't mean that I can never love anyone else."

"So you admit it?"

"There's nothing to admit!"

"I've seen the way you look at her! It's the same way you looked at mum!" She broke off, teary eyed, and Usui shook his head.

"I'm going to bed." He strode over to Yumi where she crossed her arms in an emotional huff. He kissed her forehead and stroked her cheek softly. "I love you." And with that, Yumi remained alone in her father's study and burst into tears.

~o~

"You look wonderful." Misaki murmured as Usui walked into the staff room the following morning, his eyes drooping. He glanced at her briefly and rubbed his face tiredly, grabbing his water bottle from his locker.

"Oh yeah, I'm just perfect."

"Thanks for the sarcasm."

"You started it." He flopped down into one of the chairs across from Misaki and she gave him a small, worried smile.

"Your daughter seems to love me." Usui looked a little alarmed

"What did she do now?" Misaki shook her head.

"No, no, she told Aya that I hated you and that that was the way it was meant to be. I think she thought Yumi was upset about it, so she stayed up late and made her a paper crown with jewels and glitter and the lot." Usui chuckled a little bit, but it was rather flat.

"That's cute. The crown thing, I mean." Misaki frowned.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that your stress is over Yumi." He blinked up at her.

"How did you know that? Without even asking..." Misaki shrugged.

"I know you more than you think." Usui sighed.

"Yumi thinks I love you." Misaki laughed and he looked up, confused.

"You think that's bad? Ayano thinks I'm going to marry you!" Usui smiled.

"Wouldn't be so bad."

"Keep telling yourself that." She countered easily. His eyes fell and he checked his watch.

"I need to explain why Yumi acts this way around you. Our breaks align so, I'll ask you nicely, may I take up some of your free time?" Misaki pondered it and twirled a plastic promise ring around her finger.

"Sure."

"It's an honour."

"Don't get cocky."


End file.
